With all the propaganda put out by the far right surrounding us one might be tempted to throw in the towel. Yes, they have been successful in sowing lie after lie about just anything under the sun. Yes, they have managed to get millions to buy into their lies. As a result they now control all three branches of government, the President, the Congress (both houses) and the Supreme Court. Things look pretty grim.

It is tempting to extrapolate into the future and imagine their extremist ideologies being carried out and the inevitable fallout that would occur. It paints a pretty scary picture. One sees the environment polluted and exploited to the fullest. Social programs are nonexistent or so heavily privatized that the only ones that get to benefit from them are the wealthy elite, who need those programs the least. It is even easy to imagine seeing most people dieing of thirst and hunger because the pollution has contaminated the food supply.

But there are signs of hope in this blighted landscape. It isn’t just that the neocons can’t hold onto power forever. Nor is it the possibility that they will eventually get so caught up in their lies that they will crash into the ground and obliterate themselves. There is a bigger sign of hope out there.

Progress. This alone fills this writer with hope. Since before recorded history, man has been steadily progressing toward a better and better world. Sure there have been some stumbling blocks along the way. Countless wars. Massive poverty. The Dark Ages. But the common people have managed to overcome them all. And now we enter a new age.

Today the power of the common people is approaching new heights. Never before in history have people been able to look around themselves and see so many likeminded others. When one thinks about it, it is truly impressive.

We can make decisions en mass. Those decisions are where progress happens. We demand a solution for a problem and eventually someone will come up with or invent that solution. Is the water too polluted? Then we demand that it be cleaned up. Tired of war? We can demand an end to it. Eventually our cries will be heard. They have to be. Progress depends on us.

Even the big national and multinational corporations depend on the masses. They depend on us as customers and as innovators. But there remains the question, are they simply manufacturing our thoughts for us? For their own profit and gain?

Eventually doing such things will backfire on those in power. We can’t come up with the new ideas that they demand if we are constantly stifled. They can’t come up with ideas all by themselves.

It seems pretty bleak at times. I find myself occasionally downhearted at the way things seem to be going. But it can’t last forever. Eventually the masses will be heard. Count on it. It’s not hopeless.